August 2012

Dear Colleagues:

I write to invite your participation in the 2012-13 data collection cycle for the Delaware Study of Instructional Costs and Productivity. The Delaware Study has matured over the past decade and is now generally acknowledged as the “tool of choice” for comparative analysis of faculty teaching loads, direct instructional cost, and separately budgeted scholarly activity, all at the level of the academic discipline. The Delaware Study is used by major data consortia and state agencies, including the Association of American Universities Data Exchange (AAUDE), the Southern Universities Group (SUG), the University of North Carolina System, and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, among others. It is a versatile and highly useful analytical tool for making management and policy decisions, whether at the level of the academic department, institution, state, or national level.

Since 1992, nearly 600 institutions have elected to participate in the Delaware Study. We highly value our relationship with those colleges and universities who are already working with us, and we are eager to establish new working relationships with institutions that have not yet participated.

In preparing for the 2012-13 data collection cycle, there are two strategies that will prove helpful to both experienced and new participants. First and foremost is a visit to the Delaware Study website, housed on the University of Delaware's Office of Institutional Research's home page. Here you will find a description of the Study; complete data definitions and calculation conventions; sample data collection form and information on how to submit your data; information about fees and payment options; a walk-through for a typical academic department along with frequently asked questions; and sample national benchmarks from the Delaware Study.

A second resource available is Michael Middaugh’s book, Understanding Faculty Productivity: Standards and Benchmarks for Colleges and Universities, available from Jossey Bass Publishers. Michael wrote the book to provide readers with a history of the evolution of the Delaware Study; specific and concrete strategies for building a cost and productivity database to support participation in the Delaware Study; and a series of case studies as to how institutions use Delaware Study benchmark data to support academic planning and resource allocation decisions. It is a highly practical book, and a useful resource to those interested in academic benchmarking.

The data collected during the 2012-13 cycle will reflect Fall 2011 faculty teaching loads and 2011-12 academic and fiscal year productivity and cost data consistent with the definitions in the instructions found on the Delaware Study website. We encourage institutions to submit their data no later than December 15, 2012. We will not accept data after January 31, 2013.

Please see the Delaware Study website for complete instructions for submitting your data in Excel template format, Excel fixed column format, or fixed column ASCII format. Please understand that we intend to strictly adhere to the January 31 deadline. We want to be able to provide national benchmark data to participating institutions during summer 2013, and that necessitates earlier data collection and submission.

The fee for participation in the 2012-13 cycle of the Delaware Study of Instructional Costs and Productivity is $1,000. Payment information, including our online payment option, is now available.

As always, should you have any questions on any facet of Delaware Study activity, please call me or drop an e-mail note to awalters@udel.edu. I look forward to working with you throughout the coming year.

Best Wishes,

Allison M. Walters

Assistant Director

Office of Institutional Research